Stress
by RainbowFizzyPops
Summary: /Tensions run high in the Mutou household.../ Puzzleshipping. Collab one shot with Natoya25.


Short collab fic with Natoya25. Plot idea was from ImagineYourOTP on tumblr.

* * *

Tensions were high in the Mutou household.

Atemu came in through the front door, slamming it shut behind him without meaning to. The slam echoed in the room, the doorframe shuddering with the vibrations. This hardly eased his rage - at his boss, his job, and the irate co-workers he'd had the misfortune of dealing with.

With Yugi, it had been much the same frustration, except he had to deal with irritated customers who wouldn't take no for answer when he told them the shop had no more holiday deals. But even so, he tried to greet his husband kindly.

"Welcome home, Atemu."

"Yeah, thanks." Atemu tossed over his shoulder, already haven stormed past Yugi, going up the stairs to their room. "Let me know when dinner's ready."

Even more irritated now because of Atemu's short reply, Yugi turned and headed back into the kitchen, his jaw clenching.

Dinner, it seemed, wasn't to be any better for them either.

They sat at the table in silence, eating their dinner quickly, if only to escape the suffocation in the atmosphere that both men had caused. The only noise was the occasional movement of a plate and the steady rain against the windowpane until Atemu, in an effort to ease some of the tension, spoke:

"How was your day?"

"Awful," Yugi began, his mouth full of food. "I had a customer who—"

"Partner, don't talk with your mouth full. It's rude."

Yugi stopped chewing suddenly and simply stared at the other for a moment. Then placing his chopsticks down, he swallowed. "It's more rude to ask someone a question when they've just taken a bite, don't you think?" He asked sharply.

Atemu 's eyes narrowed at Yugi, also placing his chopsticks down. "What's your problem?"

"What's _my _problem? Yugi's eyes widened. "What about you? You've been in a rotten mood since you came home!"

"You have, too!"

"How would you know? You didn't even bother to talk to me before you stormed upstairs, expecting me to have your food set out on the table for you for when you came back! I didn't even get a kiss hello!"

"Like I don't kiss you enough!" Atemu scoffed. "My day was shit! So sue me!"

"Oh, your day was shit, was it? Well, newsflash babe: mine wasn't all sprigs and roses, either! But you don't have to take your anger out on me! I tried my damn hardest not to do that to you!" Yugi could feel frustrated tears well up in his eyes, his emotions taking a dangerous spike. This was not how he wanted things to go between them, but he couldn't stop the angry words spilling from his lips. "You want to know why? Because it's not fair!"

Atem rolled his eyes. "You're acting like such a child."

"_I'm_ the one acting like a child?" Yugi could only stare at him incredulously, his voice going up a pitch. "You know what? I don't have to sit here and take this from you, you…you pig-headed _moron_!" Yugi rose to his feet, his chair tipping over from the force and falling to the linoleum with a loud clatter. Throwing the napkin that had been in his lap on the table, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the dining room. He grabbed his coat off the coat rack before heading out the front door, slipping it on as he went down the steps, too angry to even pause for a second.

A loud clap of thunder alerted him to the fact it was now storming, and, not caring one bit or feeling the drops smashing against his face, Yugi went right into the downpour. He walked for a couple blocks before finally slowing down and leaning back against the wall of a building. It was almost funny how the weather matched his current mood. Yugi stood there for a long time, his face tilted towards the sky, the rain masking the falling tears as he finally let his frustration loose with a short, little wail.

* * *

"_Dammit!_" Atemu yelled, slamming his fists into the table. "Great. Just perfect!" He was seething. Could this day get any worse? There was a loud rumble of thunder outside, and Atemu shot an angry look out the window. "That wasn't a fucking challenge!" He yelled at the weather. The only response he got was the heavy pounding of rain against the roof.

It wasn't his fault. Yugi was the one who snapped at him for no reason. All Atemu did was remind him of table courtesy. Yugi was the one who started yelling. Atemu grinned a little in spite himself. Yugi could really yell when he was angry; he'd forgotten that. Yugi had called him a pig-headed moron…Atemu couldn't help but chuckle.

"Stop laughing." Atemu told himself sharply, forcing himself to frown again. There was nothing funny about this situation. An infuriated Yugi was not a funny thing.

Atemu sighed and placed his head in his hands, suddenly feeling guilty. 'But I didn't mean to make him fly off the handle,' he thought. He was going to explode. He was angry with Yugi, angry at his job, angry at the sudden rain. But most of all, he was angry with himself.

'Okay, maybe I did make a really unneeded comment…' Atemu allowed, dragging his hands down his face. 'Granted, Yugi might've overreacted, but I didn't help the matter in the slightest.'

An image of Yugi's flushed, angry face flashed in front of his eyes, and Atemu felt even worse. He didn't mean to make Yugi angry. Atemu played with the ring on his finger. What if Yugi was so mad that he didn't come home tonight? Maybe he was already over at Jou or Anzu's house, crying tears of frustration as he complained about Atemu to them. Or worse, what if he was running off somewhere, not paying attention, and a car or something hit him? And it would be all Atemu's fault because he had picked on Yugi's _eating habits_.

Atemu stood up quite suddenly, his chair scraping against the floor. That was impossible, of course, but what if…what if…? What if something _did_ happen? What if Yugi got hurt and died and left things between them like this?

Grabbing his coat, Atemu ran outside into the pouring rain, looking around for a familiar head of wild hair. Would he just run down the sidewalk, or would he head to the park? Where did Yugi go to cool down when he wasn't in Atemu's arms? The rain was coming down so hard that Atemu could barely see even ten feet in front of him. More thunder rolled overhead, and he took off to the left, keeping his eyes peeled open.

"Yugi?" He called over the rain, praying that, no matter how angry Yugi may be, that he'd answer if he could hear. "Where are you?"

"What do you want, Atemu?" Came a sharp, tight voice behind him, and Atemu spun around to see Yugi leaning against the wall of a building, hands in his pockets and giving Atem a look of contempt. He hadn't gone far from the house at all.

"Thank god!" Atemu ran to the Yugi, throwing his arms around his wet, lithe body. "Thank god I found you."

"I…what?" Yugi was thrown for a complete loop. As if he'd been thinking that Atemu had followed him to continue the yelling match. "Atemu?"

Before another word could be spoken, Atemu grabbed Yugi's shoulders and reeled him in, planting a wet, firm kiss on his mouth. Yugi blinked, completely taken by surprise, but soon wrapped his arms around Atemu, clinging against him tightly. Atemu's hands found their way up until he was holding Yugi's face, never wanting to let him go again. There was a moment when Atemu was about to pull away, but Yugi tightened his hold and kept them both close.

"Not yet," he muttered against Atemu's lips. Atemu hadn't said a word; only crushed his mouth on Yugi's once again. Both of them using the rest of their energy from fighting and putting it into that kiss. The rain poured down on the two, soaking them both to the very bone, but they were too lost in each other to even notice or care.

When Atemu finally pulled away, it seemed like it was hours later. He took in deep breaths and watched Yugi, not releasing his hold on the other's face.

"I'm still angry with you." Yugi said, averting his eyes from Atemu's, a deep blush covering his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Yugi." Atemu said, resting his forehead on Yugi's. "So sorry."

Yugi didn't reply for a moment, then: "You didn't need to make that comment, you know."

"I know."

"I was trying to be _nice_."

"I know."

"…You're a big, dumb jerk."

"I know I am."

"Well…as long as you know." Yugi muttered, but the corner of his lips was upturned.

"Shall we go home and dry off?" Atemu asked, about to wipe Yugi's cheek with his sleeve, only to realize it was dripping wet.

"Yeah." Yugi pulled away from Atemu and took his hand. "I could use a nice, long, hot bath. To warm up and get rid of this tension. Do you want to wash my back?"

"For you? Anything."

Yugi started walking, but he looked pleased.  
"Don't you forget it."

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Please review :)


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